Kudos

In addition to Faculty Citings, the Early Bird shines a spotlight each month on the accomplishments of Metropolitan State University of Denver faculty members, staff members, students, alumni and University partners. 

If we missed an award, accolade or opportunity to celebrate an accomplishment big or small, please email us at [email protected]. 

Stan Trout, Ph.D., affiliate professor of Mechanical Engineering/Engineering Technology, recently presented the keynote address at the Magnetics 2022 conference. The market for permanent magnets is a rapidly expanding industry expected to grow by over $19 billion in the next four years. Having been heavily involved in magnetics technology for more than 40 years, Trout was an ideal industry expert for sharing insights into this thriving field. Hats off to this inspirational educator who is helping to pave the way for future industry leaders.     

The Events team was honored this month with the President’s Team Award for its exemplary service and contributions to MSU Denver. The shining team members who earned the award with their commitment to CADRE values include manager Cora Potter and specialist Kylie Miller, with special recognition for learning-spaces specialist David Sharman.  

“Cora and Kylie are a dynamic team that has put on so many events since we returned to campus last fall, constantly navigating a wide variety of health protocols in coordination with local and state officials,” said MSU Denver President Janine Davidson, Ph.D. “We also can’t talk about events without giving kudos to David Sharman, the man behind almost every online or hybrid event or meeting. … I can’t say enough about these outstanding Roadrunners.” 

A standing ovation for this incredible team of professionals.  

Not even a global pandemic can stop the Roadrunner community from reimagining possible, especially for future health professionals. In a Health Institute pitch event, undergraduate students were invited to participate in the Reimagine Wellness Challenge to find an innovative way to address a community challenge. 

Congrats to the following student winners: 

• Thalia Rodriguez and Ines Calvete Barrios, creators of “Salud! En Nuestra Comunidad,” were selected for not only the People’s Choice Award ($100 gift certificate) but also the third-place award of $8,000 ($8,000 split $6,000 program budget/ $2,000 prize) for their work in addressing food insecurity and healthy nutrition for Latinx students. Thalia and Ines are DACA & Undocumented Student Health Career Opportunity Program alumni and are deeply inspired to serve their communities with healthy food. They will be creating conversations over meals that reflect their heritage and language as a means of driving social change. 
• Jamika Waite and Kenny Smith, “Denver Unhoused Power Agency,” were chosen for the second-place award of $10,000 ($7,500 program budget/ $2,500 prize). Their project is to secure state-issued IDs for unhoused people, a gap they uncovered as they did their research into the needs of unhoused communities. Jamika was in our Centura Health scholars cohort, and Kenny is an alumnus of the Health Careers Opportunity Program health-scholars program. In their presentation, they shared their lived experience, including Kenny’s extensive time on the streets and his struggles with addiction. They are partnering with organizations working to address the housing crisis in Denver.  

• Hannah Sheridan and Barrie Mack, “Taming Invisible Tigers,” were given the top prize of $12,000 for first place ($9,000 program budget/$3,000 prize). In their presentation, they discussed their commitment to student veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. Barrie shared her experience in the military and her medical discharge after she started experiencing PTSD. They’ve developed a program to be shared across the Auraria Campus that will use evidence-based tools as well as community to support those suffering from PTSD. 

Dan Meylor is an Economics graduate whose professional interests are focused on helping multinational companies grow in the global marketplace. Since graduating with his bachelor’s degree from MSU Denver last year, Meylor has published his first article, “NAFTA in Mexico: What Worked? And What Did Not?” Congratulations, Dan, on the beginning of an exciting postgraduate career.  

Thanks to the hard work and innovation of the registrar’s team, the office is excited to announce that starting with the fall 2021 class, graduates will receive a certified electronic diploma along with their printed diploma. The electronic diplomas, aided by vendor Paradigm Inc., can be independently validated through the MSU Denver website by future employers, state–government licensing agencies and any other entity that wishes to validate the diploma. The document is digitally signed and encrypted to provide greater trust and acceptance. Congratulations to the team for improving diploma accessibility for graduates.